Round board game for 3 players

ABSTRACT

A round strategy board game for three players played on three rings with sixteen balls of three sizes and four colors. Each player places one playing piece per turn upon an unoccupied playing position. Once all playing pieces are on the board the players may then move their playing pieces according to the proper order of play. Positional play is of the most importance since playing pieces are never eliminated but “bumped” to other playing positions. The game ends when all playing pieces that are of the same size as the playing piece occupying the center of the board, have an unobstructed path along an implied diameter to the playing piece occupying the center of the board. When the game ends, the positions of the playing pieces determine an eliminated player.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not Applicable

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING COMPACT DISK APPENDIX

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention pertains to a new round strategy board game and playing area for three players.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Known prior art includes U.S. Pat. No. 416,231; U.S. Pat. No. 1,567,975; U.S. Pat. No. Des. 171,624; U.S. Pat. No. 2,787,469; U.S. Pat. No. 3,037,773; U.S. Pat. No. 3,223,420; U.S. Pat. No. Des. 208,258 ; U.S. Pat. No. Des. 211,529; U.S. Pat. No. 3,592,472; U.S. Pat. No. 3,617,063; U.S. Pat. No. 4,026,557; U.S. Pat. No. Des. 246,923; U.S. Pat. No. 4,385,765; U.S. Pat. No. 4,778,186; U.S. Pat. No. 5,037,109; U.S. Pat. No. 5,306,007; U.S. Pat. No. 5,498,005; U.S. Pat. No. 6,419,228.

None of the aforementioned patents disclose a new round strategy board game and playing area for only three players. The inventive device includes a round board game and round playing area having markings on the surface implying 6 diameters and having the center of the board as a playing position and the intersections of rings and implied diameters as a plurality of playing positions. Each player is assigned a set of 5 flat bottomed balls of the same color that differs from the color of the other sets. Each set is comprised of three sizes: 1 being largest, 2 being of a medium size, and 2 being smallest. A medium playing piece, of a color that is different from any color used for the playing sets, is placed so that it occupies the center of the board. Each player then placing one playing piece per turn, from a set that is assigned to him, upon an unoccupied playing position until all the playing pieces are on the playing area. A plurality of sequential player turns are performed comprising moving an assigned playing piece along a chosen path, unobstructed by playing pieces, either clockwise or counter-clockwise along a ring or either left or right along an implied diameter provided the center of the board is not unoccupied after the move is completed; requiring, as the result of the end of every move, the moved playing piece to occupy a playing position; allowing, as the result of an end of a move, a playing piece to occupy a playing position that is unoccupied by a playing piece; allowing, as the result of an end of a move across an even or odd number of spaces, a playing piece to force out another playing piece from its playing position by occupying its playing position provided both playing pieces are assigned to the same player; allowing, as the result of an end of a move across an even number of spaces, a playing piece to force out a playing piece of the same size from its playing position by occupying that playing position; requiring a player to complete a move, by further moving any forced out playing piece, to the first vacant playing position along the same path and in the same direction which the assigned playing piece was moving to force out the playing piece; and each time assigning the medium sized playing piece, that is of a different color than all the other playing pieces, to the player who moves a playing piece, that is assigned to him, to the playing position in the center of the board. The game allows implied diametrical paths to lead beyond the limits of the board re-entering the playing area at the opposite end of the same implied diameter; thus, having the same continuous effect as the rings. The game ends once all playing pieces, that are of the same size as the playing piece occupying the center of the board, have an unobstructed path along an implied diameter to the playing piece that is occupying the center of the board. Requiring, once the game has ended, each player, who did not execute the last move, to choose a path leading from a playing piece that is assigned to him and of the same size as the playing piece occupying the center of the board to the playing piece occupying the center of the board; declaring a player as eliminated if his chosen path to the playing piece occupying the center of the board is still the shortest of the two chosen paths or declaring the player who executed the last move as eliminated when both chosen paths to the playing piece occupying the center of the board are equal in distance.

In these respects, the round strategy board game for only three players according to the present invention substantially departs from the concepts and designs of the prior art.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The general purpose of the present invention is to provide a new round strategy board game apparatus and method having many novel features that result in a new round strategy board game for three players which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art board games, either alone or in any combination thereof.

The present invention uses a round board for three players. The playing pieces are placed, one at a time, on vacant playing positions; after this, movement of playing pieces begins. Each player has a set of flat-bottomed balls of different sizes. The differing sizes and colors dictate whether a game piece can force another game piece to an alternate game position during a move. The game ends when all playing pieces that are of the same size as the playing piece occupying the center of the board have an unobstructed path along an implied diameter to the occupied center of the board. Important features of the game are: a) games only result in the elimination of one player since there would be a disadvantage to having a single winner in that someone might lose due to another player's error; b) to avoid an unfair disadvantage towards a player there is no removing of playing pieces from the playing area; c) there is not a standard set up from which an alliance could depend upon to plan the elimination of a player; d) There is no concern of any player avoiding ending a game because he does not want another certain player to be eliminated, since it is required for a player to end the game, when there is an opportunity to eliminate another player and another player declares that this opportunity exists.

The invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the abstract or summarized description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways; for example, the game could be projected as a holograph. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.

As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a new round strategy board game for 3 players which may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new round strategy board game for 3 players which is of a durable and reliable construction.

An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new round strategy board game for 3 players which is susceptible of a low cost of manufacture with regard to both materials and labor, and which accordingly is then susceptible of low prices of sale to the consuming public, thereby making such a new round strategy board game for only 3 players economically available to the buying public.

Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new round strategy board game for 3 players which provides in the apparatuses and methods of the prior art some of the advantages thereof, while simultaneously overcoming some of the disadvantages normally associated therewith.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

All figures, with the exception of FIGS. 1A, 1B, 1C, AND FIG. 2, are sectional views of the plan view of the board. This is done since the figures are concerned with particular moves of the game in play which requires all the pieces on the board at the same time; to avoid confusion and since the game requires 4 colors, sectional views are utilized for the black and white representations of the particular moves.

FIGS. 1A TO 1C is an elevation view of the preferred embodiment of the three sizes of playing pieces.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the preferred embodiment of the game board 10.

FIGS. 3A-B show the steps of a particular move on a section of a plan view of the board.

FIGS. 4A-B show the steps of another particular move on a section of a plan view of the board.

FIG. 5 shows what is considered to be a move across an odd number of spaces and what is considered to be a move across an even number of spaces on a section of a plan view of the board.

FIG. 6 shows an unobstructed path along an implied diameter leading beyond the limits of the board and re-entering the playing area at the opposite end of the same implied diameter and further leading to the playing piece occupying the center of the board on a section of a plan view of the board.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The Preferred Embodiment

The preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. 2. In the preferred embodiment there are three players. The game board 10 has markings to indicate twelve implied radii, with the markings alternating as thin and thick and being at an equal distance from each other implying six diameters; having 3 sizes of concentric rings with the center being a playing position and the intersections of rings and implied diameters as playing positions. The game board is made of a suitable substance, and has imprinted and/or engraved upon it the rings and radii markings as shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 1A TO FIG. 1C illustrate, respectively, the preferred embodiment of the three sizes of playing pieces. In the preferred embodiment of the playing sets, all playing pieces of a playing set are of a same color that is different from the color used for pieces of other playing sets. Each set consists of one large playing piece, two medium sized playing pieces, and two small sized playing pieces. In addition, there is one playing piece of a medium size that is of a different color than any of the other fifteen playing pieces.

FIG. 3A TO FIG. 3B illustrates playing piece 31 moving beyond the limits of the board and re-entering the playing area at the opposite end of the same implied diameter to force out playing piece 34, and further illustrating the completion of the move by moving playing piece 34 to the next vacant playing position in the direction playing piece 31 was moving. In this illustration, playing piece 31 and playing piece 34 are of the same size.

FIG. 4A TO 4B illustrates playing piece 41 moving along the middle ring to force out playing piece 44, and further illustrating the completion of the move by moving playing piece 44 to the next vacant playing position in the direction playing piece 41 was moving. In this illustration, playing piece 41 and playing piece 44 are of the same size.

FIG. 5 illustrates what is moving across an odd number of spaces and what is considered moving across an even number of spaces: playing piece 51 has the potential to either move across an odd number of spaces to playing position 53 or to move across an even number of spaces to playing position 52. It is required that each player consider that 1 space exists between a playing position and the next playing position along a ring or an implied diameter. In this illustration, playing piece 51 and the playing piece occupying the center of the board are of the same size.

FIG. 6 illustrates how a playing piece can have an unobstructed path to the center of the board leading beyond the limits of the board and re-entering the playing area at the opposite end of the same implied diameter: playing piece 61 has an unobstructed path to the center of the board

To begin the game the medium sized playing piece that is of a different color than all the other playing pieces is placed in the center of the board. Players take turns placing, from their assigned set, one playing piece at a time on vacant playing positions on the board until all playing pieces have been placed.

Then each player, according to respective turns, chooses either to not move for his turn or to move for his turn. Whenever a player moves a playing piece for his turn it must have been assigned to him and must be moved along a path, unobstructed by playing pieces, either clockwise or counter-clockwise along a ring or either left or right along an implied diameter provided the center of the board is not unoccupied after the move is completed. If a player wishes to occupy a vacant playing position he may do so. If a player wishes to move one of his assigned playing pieces to force out an adverse playing piece he may do so only if his assigned playing piece moves across an even number of spaces and if his assigned playing piece is of the same size as the adverse playing piece he desires to force out. A player may always force out another playing piece that is assigned to him regardless of size and whether the distance is across an even or odd number of spaces. Whenever a playing piece is forced out, whether it is adverse or not, the player who forced out the playing piece must complete the move by further moving the forced out playing piece to the first vacant playing position along the same path and in the same direction the assigned playing piece was moving to force out the playing piece. Whenever a player moves an assigned playing piece to the center of the board the medium sized playing piece, that is of a different color than all the other playing pieces, is assigned to that player. All playing pieces belonging to a colored set can only be assigned to one player for the duration of a game. At all times during play the implied diametrical paths lead beyond the limits of the board re-entering the playing area at the opposite end of the same implied diameter; thus, having the same continuous effect as the rings.

The game ends when all playing pieces, that are of the same size as the playing piece occupying the center of the board, have an unobstructed path along an implied diameter to the playing piece occupying the center of the board. Let us call the player who made the last move to end a game “the ender” and the other two players “the followers.” Each “follower” must choose a path leading from a playing piece that is assigned to him and is of the same size as the playing piece occupying the center of the board to the playing piece occupying the center of the board. The follower who's chosen path is at a lesser distance than the other “follower's” path to the playing piece occupying the center of the board becomes the eliminated player. If there is a tie in distance between chosen playing pieces, it is “the ender” who becomes the eliminated player.

There is no concern of any dispute over who actually has the least or most distance to the playing piece occupying the center of the board, since it is always required, at the end of every move, to occupy a playing position and that the playing position be considered perfectly centered beneath the playing piece and, before play, for each player to consider each playing piece of the same size to occupy a playing position at the same height and to consider all playing pieces to be exactly spherical even though they are represented by flat bottomed balls for ease of placement. In addition, it is required that each player considers the concentric rings to be exact circles and to consider the center playing position to be the exact center. There is no concern of any player avoiding ending a game because he does not want a certain player to be eliminated since it is required for a player to end the game when there is an opportunity to eliminate another player and a player declares that this opportunity exists. 

1. A method of playing a 3 player strategy board game, comprising the following steps: a) providing a round game board having markings implying 12 radii, with the markings alternating as thin and thick and being at an equal distance from each other implying six diameters; having 3 sizes of concentric rings with the center being a playing position and the intersections of rings and implied radii as playing positions; b) requiring each player to consider each concentric ring to be an exact circle and to consider the center playing position to be the exact center; c) designating a first player, a second player, and a third player and the corresponding order of play; d) providing a first set, a second set, and a third set of playing pieces with each set differing in color and comprised of 5 flat bottomed balls of three sizes: 1 being largest, 2 being of a medium size, and 2 being smallest; e) further providing 1 medium sized playing piece of a different color than all the playing pieces on the board; f) requiring each player to consider each playing piece of the same size, when occupying their playing positions, to be at the same height and all playing pieces to be exactly spherical even though they are represented by flat bottomed balls for ease of placement; g) assigning each player to one set of 5 playing pieces so that all three of the playing sets are assigned; h) placing, at the start of a game, the medium sized playing piece, that is of a different color than all the other playing pieces on the board, in the center of the board; i) each player, then, placing 1 playing piece per turn, from a set that is assigned to him, upon an unoccupied playing position until all the playing pieces are on the playing area; j) each player, then, in turn, choosing either to not move for a turn or moving as follows: i) moving an assigned playing piece along a chosen path, unobstructed by playing pieces, either clockwise or counter-clockwise along a ring or either left or right along an implied diameter provided the center of the board is not unoccupied after the move is completed; ii) requiring, as the result of the end of every move, the moved playing piece to occupy a playing position and that it be considered perfectly centered beneath the playing piece; iii) allowing, as the result of an end of a move, a playing piece to occupy a playing position that is unoccupied by a playing piece; iv) allowing, as the result of an end of a move across an even or odd number of spaces, a playing piece to force out another playing piece from its playing position by occupying its playing position provided both of these playing pieces are assigned to the same player; v) allowing, as the result of an end of a move across an even number of spaces, a playing piece to force out a playing piece of the same size from its playing position by occupying that playing position; vi) requiring a player to complete a move, by further moving any forced out playing piece, to the first unoccupied playing position along the same path and in the same direction which the assigned playing piece was moving to force out the playing piece; vii) each time assigning the medium sized playing piece, that is of a different color than all the other playing pieces, to the player who moves a playing piece, that is assigned to him, to the playing position in the center of the board; k) ending the game once all playing pieces, that are of the same size as the playing piece occupying the center of the board, have an unobstructed path along an implied diameter to the playing piece that is occupying the center of the board.
 2. The method of play according to claim 1, which includes as an additional step, allowing implied diametrical paths to lead beyond the limits of the board re-entering the playing area at the opposite end of the same implied diameter; thus, having the same continuous effect as the rings.
 3. The method of play according to claim 2, which includes as an additional step, requiring each player to consider that 1 space exists between a playing position and the next playing position along a ring or an implied diameter.
 4. The method of play according to claim 3 which includes as an additional step, requiring, once the game has ended, each player, who did not execute the last move, to choose a path leading from a playing piece, that is assigned to him and of the same size as the playing piece occupying the center of the board to the playing piece occupying the center of the board.
 5. The method of play according to claim 4, which includes as an additional step, declaring the player, whose chosen path to the playing piece occupying the center of the board is the shortest of the two chosen paths, as the eliminated player.
 6. The method of play according to claim 4, which includes as an additional step, declaring the player who executed the last move as the eliminated player when both chosen paths to the playing piece occupying the center of the board are of equal distance.
 7. The method of play according to claim 5, which includes as an additional step, requiring a player to end the game when another player declares that there is an opportunity to end the game and there is, in fact, an opportunity to do so. 